55 Postcard tips by Brandon Cornett, Part 1

55 Tips for Postcard Marketing Success
By Brandon Cornett

But as with any form of marketing, you only get out of it what you put into it. To help you get the most from your postcard marketing efforts, I've assembled 55 tips for success.
Obviously, some of these tips will not apply to your particular postcard marketing needs, but with 55 of them ... there's bound to be something in there for you!
Upfront Considerations
1. To keep yourself on track through all of the steps to follow, create an overall postcard marketing plan. After reading this article, you'll know exactly what to put into it.
2. To save yourself time, headache and hassle, turn the logistics over to a professional postcard printer.
3. To find the company that's best for you, create a list of postcard service providers and begin comparing them on the points that are most important to you (cost, services, easy of use, etc.).
4. Begin thinking about the various elements of postcard marketing and who will handle them (the copywriting, the design, etc.).
5. Track down some colleagues who have used postcard marketing in the past. Buy them a cup of coffee and pick their brain about lessons learned, vendor recommendations, etc.
6. Start reading up on direct mail marketing in general, and postcard marketing in particular.
7. Create a postcard marketing budget that allows for multiple mailings.
Goals and Objectives
8. Gather your marketing folks together to define your marketing goals.
9. Avoid generalizations. Be specific with your postcard marketing objective. Determine the type of response you want, as well as the volume of response.
10. Set realistic goals and objectives. Get an idea of what postcards can do for marketers, and set your goals within those parameters.
11. Set objectives that are based on some form of response (as opposed to branding, awareness, or some other immeasurable trait). Postcard marketing is a response generator, not a brand builder.
Powerful Ideas
12. Create a reason for sending postcards before you send them (a promotion, a special offer, a news flash or announcement).
13. Come up with a big idea that will get people's attention. Avoid mediocrity at all costs.